Part of my personal styling job means keeping up with current fashion trends in order to better advise clients. Spring summer 2021 has a TON of trends and if I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of most of them! There, I said it. I don’t believe that just because something is ‘on trend’ and all over the runways that we should rush to buy the items. Part of the reason for this is because trends are SO short lived! Most people simply can’t afford to buy a brand new wardrobe every season AND it’s not sustainable. A great example of this would be the mini purse trend. Those were hot for a couple years and now? Big bags are coming back and the tiny bags are nowhere to be seen! With that being said, I still love trends and I find it fun to look for timeless pieces that are considered trendy. Therefore, I give you my top five favorite spring summer 2021 fashion trends! As always, all of the links to my outfits will be down below.
‘Fashion fades, style is eternal.’ – Yves Saint Laurent
Leather
Leather. Oh how much I love you. When I saw the amount of leather in the runway shows, I was SCREAMING! Leather is something that I consider forever stylish, but not necessarily on trend. You can imagine how happy I was when I noticed it was trending! A leather jacket is the most obvious choice, but I’m loving the different variations that we are seeing. Some of these being shorts, coated denim, leggings, paperbag pants, coats, and dresses just to name a few.
Personally, I’ve been loving leather shorts. They look great dressed up with some heels and just as fabulous dressed down with some combat boots and a simple shirt! I also tend to pair these with tights for the chillier spring days as you can see above!
My recomendation? Find an item that suits your body shape and see if it’s available in leather! A blazer works on just about everyone and is a safe bet, but items like paperbag pants can be less forgiving.
Wide/Straight Leg Pants
Much to my dismay, skinny jeans are officially out. Do I care? Nope. Will I continue to rock my skinnies? YUP. However, straight and wide leg pants are IN for spring summer 2021. A wide leg pant tends to be flattering on just about everyone and they’re very comfortable, too. I love wearing a light colored linen pair during the summer months for a chic, effortless vibe.
Ladies, we have a ton of options here. We can do some high waisted trousers, jeans, culottes, and low rise (which happens to be trending as well…). They are available in every color of the rainbow, prints, heck, I’ve even seen full glitter!
Personally, I’m a huge fan of culottes for the warmer months. I get hot very easily and I’m not always in the mood for a dress and I’m not a fan of shorts. Enter culottes which are a wide leg pant, cropped, comfortable, and super stylish! You truly can’t loose.
One little tip- if you opt for the wide leg (straight leg isn’t as concerned with this), remember volume proportions. If you have something oversized on the bottom, opt for a more fitted top and vice versa. This helps show your silhouette and prevents you from being lost in your clothes. Bonus points if you mark your waist with a belt or by tucking in your shirt.
Bra Tops
This trend is the only one that I included on my list that is 110% trendy and not classic. I had to addit because I think it is SO cute! Bra tops were DOMINATING the runways (hi Jacquemus & Versace!) and I was honestly here for it. Sadly, this isn’t a trend that I usually wear for myself because it doesn’t look the best on a bigger chest. The only way that I can try and pull it off is by wearing a light sports bra in lieu of an adorable little bra top. I did buy a knit one and it was honestly a disaster and I would not recommend it if you’re in the same boat as me.
While I don’t think this trend is timeless, bra tops are pretty inexpensive and available at stores like Zara and H&M so it’s easy to get the look. I would definitely recommend pairing this with a blazer or bomber jacket avoid being too sexy for an everyday look. However, if you want sexy, go off sis and take that jacket off!
Short Skirts/Shorts
Oh yes, the micro minies are BACK! I’m not talking about the kind that shows the booty, but they still wouldn’t be allowed in school, you know? Mini shorts and skirts may be trending for spring summer 2021, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a summer season without them. They will always be around year after year.
A good rule of thumb with the micros- try not to show too much skin on the top half if you don’t want to be overly sexy! Pair it with a kimono, full length t-shirt, and so on. You can also rock these in the cooler months by pairing them with tights and a peacoat, so don’t think they’re just a spring/summer item. 🙂
Business Casual For Spring Summer 2021
Business casual is IN and I’m pretty sure that it’s because of the pandemic. Lots of individuals who are lucky enough to still be employed ended up working from home which typically means sweats and pajamas for the day, so the nostalgia of business attire was real.
If you haven’t noticed, a lot of trends tend to intertwine together. In this case, business casual can include a wide leg pant and an oversized blazer (not included on my list, but very much on trend)! That simple outfit mashup hits three trend boxes AND looks great while doing it. Business casual is one of those trends that anyone can pull off. Most of us have blazers and trousers in our closet that we can easily pull out and style into a look. The best part? Long after this isn’t trendy anymore, it’ll always be stylish so you can truly invest in some nice pieces and know you can wear them forever.
Final Thoughts on Spring Summer 2021
Overall, spring summer 2021 has a TON of trends. Some are killer and others, not so much (patchwork, I’m looking at you!). Following trends can be very fun, but just be careful of which ones you buy into! There is nothing worse than getting influenced to buy somethinh trendy and having it ‘out of style’ a couple seasons later and not loving it as much. Especially if you’re spending big bucks on them! Speaking from experience with the mini bag trend, it’s unfortunate. Try to look for those pieces are more timeless OR that you will truly love whether it’s trending or not.
What do you think of trends? Do you usually follow them? Let me know down in the comments below and make sure to subscribe! Be sure to check out my Style Tips: Different Scarf Styles post for more fashion inspiration. 🙂
XO, Tess
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Outfit Details
Leather #1
Turtleneck: & Other Stories (here)
Shorts: Mango (here)
Belt: Mango (similar here)
Tights: Express (here)
Boots: Jimmy Choo x Timberland (here)
Purse: Louis Vuitton (here)
Leather #2
Top: Zara (similar here)
Shorts: Mango (here)
Tights: Express (here)
Heels: Mango (here)
Purse: Louis Vuitton (here)
Leather #3
Hat: Topshop (similar here)
Sweater: Topshop (similar here)
Coated Denim: Topshop (here)
Booties: Topshop (here)
Wide Leg Pants #1
Top: Local Boutique (similar here)
Pants: Mango (similar here)
Necklace: Vivienne Westwood (here)
Flats: Chanel (here)
Wide Leg Pants #2
Top: Zara (here)
Pants: Mango (here)
Necklace: Vivienne Westwood (here)
Sandals: Hermès (here)
Bra Top #1
Bra: Calvin Klein (here)
Blazer: Express (here)
Pants: Zara (here)
Heels: Versace (here)
Bra Top #2
Bra: Mango (similar here)
Blazer: Express (here)
Pants: Express (here)
Necklace: Vivienne Westwood (here)
Heels: Versace (here)
Skirt
Turtleneck: & Other Stories (here)
Skirt: Mango (here)
Heels: Mango (here)
Necklace: Vivienne Westwood (here)
Business Casual #1
Top: Zara (here)
Coat: Mango (here)
Pants: Mango (here)
Sneakers: Versace (here)
Purse: Louis Vuitton (here)
Business Casual #2
Trench: Local Boutique (similar here)
Tank: Mango (here)
Pants: Mango (here)
Flats: Chanel (here)
Sunglasses: Gucci (here)
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